'Justified' Review: "Get Drew"

‘Justified’ season 4 goes on the run with its tenth episode of the year “Get Drew,” as Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and the Marshals race against Boyd to find Drew Thompson/Sheriff Shelby, while the man himself ('Supernatural's Jim Beaver) flees with Ellen May and seeks protection from Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson).

Last week’s ‘Justified’ episode “The Hatchet Tour” saw Raylan kidnapping Hunter Mosely (‘The Killing)’s Brent Sexton to uncover Drew's identity, while Boyd learned the truth about Ellen May when Cassie St. Cyr (Lindsey Pulpisher) returned looking for her, so what will the latest episode of ‘Justified’ bring? Will Boyd or Raylan be the one to find Drew Thompson first?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Justified’ season 4 episode 10 “Get Drew!”

With Boyd still in handcuffs on the floor, Raylan, Tim and Rachel think on how they might catch Shelby/Drew, who would know their usual tactics for recovering a fugitive. Dejected that they found nothing but a woman’s underwear, Raylan realizes that “Drew” would likely exit Harlan the same way he came in: via plane.

Elsewhere in his office, Shelby packs while Ellen May begs to go with him, but Shelby urges the girl to get out of town for good and find her own way. Once out on the road however, the image of a stray dog guilts Shelby into changing his mind, and he picks up Ellen May by the roadside. The pair drive toward the Harlan airport, dreaming of their ultimate destination in Mexico, but the sight of a lamp outside the air traffic controller’s office warns Shelby to keep driving past. Inside, Raylan and the others note the passing car, realizing Shelby could have been tipped off to find another avenue of escape.

Raylan and the others set up a roadblock at Shelby’s next possible escape route, while in the idle time Rachel calls out Raylan on his unorthodox style of work. Art arrives, revealing that the state troopers had to release Boyd, who will likely call Theo Tonin. Trying to outfox Drew, Raylan realizes that the women’s underwear they found earlier likely belongs to Ellen May, and finding her will mean finding Drew. Art urges the Marshals to take a moment to consider the sheer bad-assery of Shelby’s twenty-year odyssey, that they might appreciate being the ones to catch the man themselves. Nearby in the woods, Shelby spots the roadblock, and advises Ellen May they should turn themselves in, until the woman has an idea.

Catching Ava up to speed over the phone, Boyd learns that Nicki Kush might know Ellen May’s next move, before urging Colton to get back on his game, and leaving Johnny behind to mind the bar. Ever opportunistic, Johnny places a call to Wynn Duffy to alert him of Drew’s identity, but Duffy reminds him the information is useless without the man himself, and urges Johnny to catch Shelby before Boyd or the Marshals can.

Out on the road, Shelby and Ellen May continue to bond, before arriving at Noble’s Holler to meet with Ellstin Limehouse. Limehouse begrudgingly agrees to provide protection for Ellen May in exchange for Shelby’s $15,000, but sees something far more valuable in Shelby himself, having already heard of his true identity as Drew Thompson. Elsewhere, Boyd and Colton rough up Nicki Kush, but when Kush refers him to Limehouse, Boyd scoffs, given that Ava was already in hiding there.

Limehouse brings Ellen May to see Ava, and the girl becomes overjoyed to see her former employer, noting that she still hasn't given up Ava’s secret to anyone. Limehouse points out that the girl genuinely means Ava no harm, but he’ll only give Ellen May and Drew up for $150,000 apiece. Boyd urges Ava to accept the price, as he calls Nicky Augustine and negotiates $500,000 in exchange for handing over Drew Thompson.

Over in Teri’s trailer, Johnny asks for information on Ellen May’s whereabouts, before Boyd calls wondering about his own. Before even hanging up the phone, Raylan and Rachel enter the trailer looking for information on Ellen May, to which Johnny finds an opportunity to pay Boyd back for all the poor ends he’d led Johnny toward. Raylan proposes that helping them find Ellen May before Boyd means he could do Johnny a favor in the process, and the pair share a drink.

Boyd arrives to see Limehouse and quickly dispenses with the pleasantries, but Limehouse reveals that he’s decided to change the deal to $300,000 for only one of the hostages. Boyd confers with Ava, wanting to take Ellen May for Ava’s protection, but Ava insists choosing Shelby/Drew is the better prospect for their future together. Boyd chooses Shelby, but Ellen May seethes at being left to rot with Limehouse, and spits in Ava’s face for her trouble.

Out in the wilderness, Shelby pleads his case to Boyd that it was his touching down with the drugs all those years ago that brought the Crowders out of poverty in the first place, but Boyd remains unmoved by the appeal, even as Shelby reveals that Arlo died in prison. Colton arrives to transport Shelby to his end, while nearby Raylan and Rachel receive a text from Johnny that Shelby is on the move to a rendezvous in a nearby field.

Colton secures Shelby to a nearby tractor, and resists the lawman’s taunts and ploys to be killed then and there rather than suffer at the hands of Theo Tonin. Colton leaves Shelby as a helicopter carrying Nicky Augustine approaches, but once the Marshals race to the scene Nicky immediately takes off empty-handed. Shortly thereafter, Boyd learns of Shelby’s recovery by the Marshals, and informs Ava they can either make a case to Theo Tonin for their survival, or go on the run.

With Shelby/Drew safely in custody, Art congratulates Raylan on his apparent success, but Raylan fires back they still have the monumental task of figuring out how to get the man out of Harlan alive.

It's incredible to think that we still have three episodes of 'Justified' remaining in the season, what with the rapid and exhilarating pace of "Get Drew." After all, it seems the season only has so many more avenues to travel down with regard to the Drew Thompson thread, but the looming threat of escaping Harlan and the Detroit mafia should prove an exciting prospect in the next few hours. In particular, "Get Drew" proves a wonderful spotlight for both Jim Beaver and Abby Miller (Ellen May), while both Nick Searcy (Art) and David Meunier (Johnny) get some great moments to play as well. Plus, how great was it to see Limehouse again? If 'Justified' season 4 can keep the plates spinning in the final three episodes as well as "Get Drew," this might be the best year for the FX drama yet.

What say you? How did you feel about ‘Justified’s latest effort “Get Drew?” Do you think Raylan will manage to keep Shelby alive long enough to escape the Dixie Mafia? Check out our interview with 'Justified' star David Meunier (Johnny Crowder) for a preview of the upcoming episodes, and join us next week for another all-new ‘Justified’ episode recap of “Decoy” on FX!